Ohio State does a tremendous job pinpointing top prospects in the West and getting many to play in Columbus. As the Buckeyes make final preparations for their game Saturday at Oregon, here are five West prospects who play at Ohio State and could make a big impact in the matchup.
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Oregon was considered the front-runner for Burke leading into his decision as the four-star cornerback loved his time in Eugene, had a great relationship with then-coach Mario Cristobal and the Ducks did a great job recruiting Arizona in that recruiting cycle.
But despite how good things looked for Oregon, the four-star cornerback from Scottsdale (Ariz.) Saguaro, who rarely talked about his recruitment, committed to the Buckeyes before ever visiting Columbus.
He’s been a phenomenal player for Ohio State starting all games that he’s played in and so far this season Burke leads the Buckeyes with two interceptions.
Egbuka’s hometown of Steilacoom, Wash., is less than a five-hour drive to Eugene but when it came down to finalists, the five-star receiver had Ohio State, Washington and Oklahoma highest on his list.
What’s crazy about Egbuka’s recruitment – and recruiting in general – is that the Huskies almost landed the in-state standout because of his relationship with then-position coach Junior Adams, who is now the receivers coach at Oregon.
The five-star could break numerous Ohio State receiving records this year as he leads the team with 30 catches for 433 yards and five touchdowns. Egbuka is one of four five-star receivers on Ohio State’s roster along with Jeremiah Smith, Carnell Tate and Brandon Inniss.
Ohio State, Texas and Notre Dame were the three finalists for the four-star defensive back from Tucson (Ariz.) Salpointe as Oregon never seemed to really be in the picture. However, one wonders had the Ducks been involved, would Ransom have continued that Arizona pipeline to Eugene.
The former four-star has more tackles than any other current Ohio State player and he’s second on the team with 23 stops, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery so far this season. The Longhorns, Irish and many others missed out on Ransom, who was a four-star but outside the Rivals250. That now looks like a slight miss on our part.
One of the more unique recruitments in recent memory, Simmons was a four-star offensive tackle coming out of San Diego (Calif.) Helix and made a commitment early on to Oregon that lasted only a few months.
Simmons decided after his sophomore season that he was more comfortable playing along the defensive line (or he got some bad advice to experiment there) and he switched over for a short time before switching back. Because he didn’t have much junior season film on the offensive line his recruitment didn’t really take off. USC, UCLA, Oregon State, Nebraska and others did get involved.
Simmons signed with San Diego State and spent two seasons there where he was a key cog on the Aztecs’ offensive line before transferring to Ohio State. He has been an instrumental piece for the Buckeyes as well.
The five-star defensive end from Bellevue (Wash.) Eastside Catholic did not take many early visits and was extraordinarily patient with his recruitment. Then the COVID pandemic hit, limiting his visits through a crucial 2020.
So Tuimoloau waited through the Early Signing Period. He waited through the Late Signing Period in February. He narrowed his list to Alabama, Ohio State, Oregon, USC and Washington. There were rumors he silently committed to Alabama but backed off it. Then it really came down to the Buckeyes and the Ducks. Getting coached by Larry Johnson was a big selling point as he picked the Big Ten power in July.
Entering this season with 83 career tackles and 11 sacks, Tuimoloau will have a chance to be a first-round NFL Draft pick. So far this season, the five-star defensive end has 12 tackles and three sacks.